Josh tells us how he helps his students to reach their potential

I’m studying Neuroscience at Downing College, Cambridge. Outside of my degree I love socialising and listening to music, and I also act and direct in student theatre.

Why did you pick your degree subject?

I really enjoy the personal aspect of neuroscience; I enjoy the stories and the relatability to everyday life and how people behave. I also enjoy how it’s quite a new subject and a very open field. It’s still expanding and growing and there’s a lot to be discovered, we’ve only really just touched the surface of what we can know about the brain.

What do you hope your students get out of your tutorials?

I hope my students take away a passion for science and a real enjoyment of learning it.

Did you have any tutoring while you are at school?

Yes, I had tuition for my practical assessment in Physics A Level, which was probably my weakest area over any subject I’d ever taken. The tuition really helped me to understand the format of the exam and how to layout my answers and my thoughts.

“It gives you a really nice feeling as a tutor when you know that you’ve helped to instil that passion in your student.”

What’s your favourite thing about tutoring?

I love it when you’re going over a topic with students and they really start to get it; they start asking deeper questions and become genuinely excited by what they’ve learned. It gives you a really nice feeling as a tutor when you know that you’ve helped to instil that passion in your student.

Can you see the impact of tutoring on your students?

I definitely can, both from session to session and within a single session. You can see them starting to understand more and engage more, and become more passionate about what they’ve learning. After a couple of sessions it’s really satisfying to see them understanding and engaging with something they really struggled with in their first session, so it’s clear that they’re learning and enjoying the topic.

Written by - Alice Farrell

Alice is part of the schools’ team, supporting tutors and helping give students better access to one-to-one tuition.